New! Healthy Airport Ordinance Amendments Webinar (3/5/21)
Webinar Slides
Webinar Recording (password = OLSEwebinars01)
 

NEW! OLSE Enforcement Update

On April 6, 2021, the Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance that would amend the San Francisco Healthy Airport Ordinance as follows:

1. Allows employers that offer covered employees a compliant, no cost platinum-level health benefit plan and an alternative gold-level health benefit plan that is more expensive to require covered employees who elect that gold-level health benefit plan to pay a portion of the premium costs, limited to the difference between the premium costs of that plan and the compliant, no cost plan.

2. Specifies who must be covered by the family health benefit plan: the covered employee, the covered employee’s spouse or registered domestic partner, and the covered employee’s child, which shall include any legally adopted child, recognized natural child, stepchild, foster child, and minor legal ward.

In accordance with federal law, coverage for children must be made available until a child reaches the age of 26, even if the young adult no longer lives with the covered employee, is not a dependent on the covered employee’s tax return, or is no longer a student.

3. Delays the health benefit plan requirements from March 21, 2021 to April 1, 2021.

Healthy Airport Ordinance Proposed Amendment
Healthy Airport Ordinance Proposed Amendment - Legislative Digest

On March 9, 2021, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution urging the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement to exercise administrative discretion to administer the Healthy Airport Ordinance in accordance with the pending amendments.  OLSE intends to exercise that discretion pending enactment of the amendments, meaning that the office will not take any enforcement action regarding health plans that are consistent with these amendments, for example plans that are effective April 1, 2021 rather than March 21, 2021, or plans that include limited premium cost sharing for additional plans consistent with the amendments.
 

Healthy Airport Ordinance (HCAO Amendment)
On November 10, 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Healthy Airport Ordinance, which amends the Health Care Accountability Ordinance for specified workers at the San Francisco International Airport. Covered employers must comply with the ordinance's requirements on its operative date, March 21, 2021.

Employers at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are required to provide employees covered by SFO’s Quality Standards Program with family health insurance that meets the compliance requirements at no cost to the employee or pay $9.50 per hour (up to $380 per week) on behalf of the employee to the City Option Program.  Employers may choose which option they use to comply.  For more details on these two options, please review the Frequently Asked Questions, posted below.

For questions regarding health plan requirements, contact Patrick Chang at the Department of Public Health at patrick.chang@sfdph.org or (415) 554-2925.  To learn more about contributing to the City Option Program, visit www.sfcityoption.org or contact SF City Option Program Management at employerservices@sfcityoption.org or (415) 615-4492.  Please mention that you are an San Francisco International Airport (SFO) employer.  

•  Healthy Airport Ordinance
• Healthy Airport Ordinance Frequently Asked Questions posted April 12, 2021 - updated FAQs are noted as such
• Healthy Airport Ordinance Forms:
  •  Employee Notice - must be displayed at each workplace
    Spanish  Chinese  Filipino
  •  Employee Know Your Rights - employers must maintain copies signed by employees
    Spanish  Chinese  Filipino
  •  Employee Voluntary Waiver Form 
    Spanish  Chinese  Filipino
• San Francisco International Airport:  Quality Standards Program (QSP) Description
  Employers may contact SFO’s Office of Social Responsibility and Community Sustainability at 650-821-1003 or qsp@flysfo.com to determine if they have employees covered by the QSP.
   

Webinars

Webinar: QSP Employees - How the New Healthy Airport Ordinance Impacts Your Benefits (February 10, 2021)
Webinar Slides
Webinar Video (password = OLSEwebinars01)

Webinar: HCAO Compliance for QSP SFO Employers (January, 26, 2021)
 Webinar Slides
Webinar Video (password = OLSEwebinars01)
 

Contact OLSE
If you have questions about the Healthy Airport Ordinance or wish to report a violation of the law, call 415-554-7903 or email hcao@sfgov.org.